The chairman of the Campaign for Working Families made the following statement regarding Steele's win: "I offer my sincere congratulations to Michael Steele with high hopes and confidence that he will lead the party forward, emphasizing the GOP's core philosophies of small government, lower taxes, pro-life, pro-family and pro-strong national defense. I look forward to working with him."

Senate Republicans May Use Filibuster to Block Stimulus(CNSNews.com) – Republican senators who oppose the $819 billion economic stimulus plan passed in the House Wednesday declined to say whether they personally would lead a filibuster to try to stop the legislation in the Senate. But they said a filibuster is an option and they are developing a strategy to stop the bill.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Democrats Launch Petition Against Rush Limbaugh(CNSNews.com) – The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has launched an online petition for readers to express their outrage at conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh for saying last week that he wanted President Barack Obama to fail.

Democrats Edit: Take Limbaugh's 'Want Obama to Fail' Comment Out of Context(CNSNews.com) - The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is running an audio clip on its Web site that misrepresents what radio host Rush Limbaugh meant when he said on his Friday, Jan. 16 radio program that he wanted President Obama "to fail." The audio clip, as played by the DCCC, omits a key sentence.

The following is an excerpt from an editorial by The Wall Street Journal, and is being released today by the Republican National Committee:

The 647-page, $825 billion House legislation is being sold as an economic "stimulus," but now that Democrats have finally released the details we understand Rahm's point much better. This is a political wonder that manages to spend money on just about every pent-up Democratic proposal of the last 40 years. ...

There's $1 billion for Amtrak, the federal railroad that hasn't turned a profit in 40 years; $2 billion for child-care subsidies; $50 million for that great engine of job creation, the National Endowment for the Arts; $400 million for global-warming research and another $2.4 billion for carbon-capture demonstration projects. There's even $650 million on top of the billions already doled out to pay for digital TV conversion coupons. ...

Add the roughly $20 billion for business tax cuts, and by our estimate only $90 billion out of $825 billion, or about 12 cents of every $1, is for something that can plausibly be considered a growth stimulus. ...

Most of the rest of this project spending will go to such things as renewable energy funding ($8 billion) or mass transit ($6 billion) that have a low or negative return on investment. Most urban transit systems are so badly managed that their fares cover less than half of their costs. However, the people who operate these systems belong to public-employee unions that are campaign contributors to ... guess which party? ...

Congress also wants to spend $7 billion for modernizing federal buildings and facilities. The Smithsonian is targeted to receive $150 million; we love the Smithsonian, too, but this is a job creator? ...

As for the promise of accountability, some $54 billion will go to federal programs that the Office of Management and Budget or the Government Accountability Office have already criticized as "ineffective" or unable to pass basic financial audits. ...

Any Blue Dog Democrat who votes for this ought to turn in his "deficit hawk" credentials.

This is supposed to be a new era of bipartisanship, but this bill was written based on the wish list of every living -- or dead -- Democratic interest group. As Speaker Nancy Pelosi put it, "We won the election. We wrote the bill." So they did. Republicans should let them take all of the credit.

A few days ago Mr. Obama told GOP leaders, "You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done."

Recently Rush Limbaugh was criticised, out of context, for saying he wanted Obama to fail. Limbaugh actually said he wanted him to fail IF he pursued socialist policies, if he pursued policies that were bad for the country. What freedom loving American wouldn't want someone to fail if they were going to destroy the underpinning of our country? if they were going to move us from a democracy to socialism or worse?

Mr. Obama's showed his ignorance regarding how conservatives think, and he showed his bias, when he made his remarks. I seriously doubt if Mr. Obama has listened to Rush Limbaugh enough to have formed a balanced opinion of the show. I would bet that all he ever hears are the snippets played by the media when there's a controversy. I'd guess some of his staff and friends have reported things second-hand to him, also.

Of course, no one likes having holes poked in their policies. The Democratic caucus would prefer that conservative talk radio die a quick death. Talk show hosts across the country present an opposing view that raises the hackles of some.

I liken talk radio to the two party system. The mainstream media is the Democratic Party, talk radio is the Republican Party. Just like our current situation, the Dems are in the majority.

One of the best, and possibly worst, things about conservatives is our independent thinking process. We can listen to Rush and others, but we're not going to follow like sheep. Gosh, just look at the divergent views expressed by the most popular talk show hosts! They disagree with each other.

On the negative side, it's rather hard to get us all to rally around one candidate or issue simply because we are so independent minded. We'll stick to our principles to the detriment of the overall goal of electing Republicans at times.

I believe Mr. Obama and the Democratic caucus have a long term goal to shut down talk radio. They're very openly trying to enact the un-"Fairness Doctrine" which would do just that.

The so-called Fairness Doctrine is on the near-horizon. Conservatives and proponents of free speech should be concerned. Like Limbaugh or not, once the government successfully shuts down talk radio, they'll go after the next bastion of opposition be it newspapers, television or the Internet. In fact, with the growth of blogradio and similar on-line quasi-radio ventures, one has to wonder if they'll be included.

This is not a Rush Limbaugh issue, this is a free speech issue.

I don't think this is the last time Obama will paint Rush as a wedge that divides. I don't believe he's going to stop until he quiets all those who point out the flaws of his policies.

Yesterday Georgia Rep Phil Gingrey was interviewed by Politico and the current flap was brought up. Here are links to a blog about the interview and to the actual Politico article. I've also included some information on the "Fairness Doctrine" and encourage all everyone to learn more about this issue. - Janet McGregor Dunn

Rep Gingrey Steps Into The Limbaugh BrouhahaPosted by: Danny Garner 01/28/2009 5:21 AMIn an interview yesterday with Politico Rep Phil Gingrey (GA-11) stepped into the dust up between Rush Limbaugh and Barack Obama. This whole soap opera started a couple of days ago when when Obama warned Republicans not to listen to Limbaugh."You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," he told top GOP leaders, whom he had invited to the White House to discuss his nearly $1 trillion stimulus package.http://www.redcounty.com/cobb/2009/01/rep-gingrey-steps-into-the-lim/

Why the Fairness Doctrine is Anything But FairLegislation currently is before Congress that would reinstate a federal communications policy known as the "fairness doctrine." The legislation, entitled the "Fairness in Broadcasting Act of 1993," is sponsored in the Senate (S. 333) by Ernest Hollings, the South Carolina Democrat, and in the House (H.R. 1985) by Bill Hefner, the North Carolina Democrat. It would codify a 1949 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulation that once required broadcasters to "afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views of public importance." The fairness doctrine was overturned by the FCC in 1987. The FCC discarded the rule because, contrary to its purpose, it failed to encourage the discussion of more controversial issues. There were also concerns that it was in violation of First Amendment free speech principles. The legislation now before Congress would enshrine the fairness doctrine into law.

The doctrine's supporters seem not to appreciate just how much the broadcast world has changed since 1949. With the proliferation of informational resources and technology, the number of broadcast outlets available to the public has increased steadily. In such an environment, it is hard to understand why the federal government must police the airwaves to ensure that differing views are heard. The result of a reinstituted fairness doctrine would not be fair at all. In practice, much controversial speech heard today would be stifled as the threat of random investigations and warnings discouraged broadcasters from airing what FCC bureaucrats might refer to as "unbalanced" views....http://www.heritage.org/Research/Regulation/EM368.cfm

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA) issued the following statement regarding the inclusion of 1.1 billion dollars for Comparative Effectiveness Research in the Democrats’ misnamed “stimulus” package. The provision provides the cornerstone for a national government-run health care system.

“Congressional Democrats are seeking to use an economic crisis to advance their goal of a massive federal health care bureaucracy,” said Chairman Price. “There should be no confusion: Comparative Effectiveness Research funding is the first step to creating a national bureaucratic health care system. Producing a uniform standard for national health care means health care decisions will be made by the government, not doctors and patients. We must fight for patient-centered care and ensure that those most affected by health care decisions continue to be allowed to make them.”

Next week the House of Representatives will consider the Democrat so-called “stimulus” bill that will, among other provisions, establish a Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER). This new health board will establish a permanent government rationing organization prescribing care in place of doctors and patients. The draft report language accompanying the appropriations health portion of the bill clearly lays out the Democrats’ plan for their new CER board:

“By knowing what works best and presenting this information more broadly to patients and healthcare professionals, those items, procedures, and interventions that are most effective to prevent, control, and treat health conditions will be utilized, while those that are found to be less effective and in some cases, more expensive, will no longer be prescribed.”

Monday, January 26, 2009

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today released the following statement regarding Timothy Geithner’s confirmation to head the Treasury Department. Geithner was confirmed by a vote of 60 to 34. Isakson voted against confirming Geithner.

“Timothy Geithner is a talented and able man. However, that fact does not outweigh the fact that Mr. Geithner failed to pay payroll taxes on two years income at the IMF, even after the IRS audited his returns for the two succeeding years and discovered his failure to pay. It was only days before his nomination that he came forward to pay the other two years. That was more than a mistake for someone nominated to oversee the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service. I cannot support his nomination.”

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Governor Sonny Perdue issued the following statement following today’s inauguration of President Barack Obama:

“Today’s inauguration of President Obama marks yet another peaceful transition of power in our nation’s great history. Mary and I were honored to attend today’s ceremony and our prayers are with President and Mrs. Obama as they take on this awesome responsibility. Georgia looks forward to continuing to work closely with the incoming administration as we address our softening economy and the impact it is having on our citizens. I also want to thank President Bush for his service to our country and for his support and friendship during his time in the White House.”

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today released the following statement following the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

"Today's inauguration is a historic occasion and milestone that honors our new President and measures the progress we have made as a nation. President Barack Obama and his administration will face many challenges both foreign and domestic as he outlined in his address today. I have great respect for him and I look forward to working with him in a bipartisan way, as offered in his remarks.

"I know that all Georgians and all Americans, join me in praying for President Obama and his family on this day and in the future for a safe and successful presidency.”

Sunday, January 18, 2009

With the election of Barack Obama for President of the United States, and the Democrats controlling both the House of Representatives and the Senate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pushing to re-install the "Fairness Doctrine", a policy enforced by the FCC that called for issues to be debated in an equitable manner.

However, this policy is being reintroduced by Democrats to stifle conservative talk radio shows, like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and others.

By signing this petition, you are pledging your support for conservative talk radio. Please engage family, friends and colleagues to sign this as well and tell Congress NO to the "Un"Fairness Doctrine.

We plan to have 1,000,000 signatories on this petition and send it to House Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President-elect Barack Obama.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today questioned why President-elect Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Labor supports legislation to strip workers of their right to a secret ballot when deciding whether to unionize, but previously insisted on a secret ballot for workers during negotiations with management on flex time.

The nominee, U.S. Rep. Hilda Solis of California, voted for legislation to strip workers of the secret ballot when deciding whether to unionize in 2007, but pushed legislation in the California Legislature in the late 1990s in which she insisted that workers have the secret ballot when negotiating with management on flex time and overtime pay.

“You insisted that there be a vote by all employees and that it be by secret ballot. Why would we want to change the law of the United States now with regard to how unions are organized and eliminate the secret ballot?” Isakson said to Solis during her hearing this morning in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

Solis responded to Isakson this morning that she was not prepared to make a statement about her position on the secret ballot at this time.

Isakson strongly opposes the so-called Employee Free Choice Act, also known as Card Check, which would eliminate the rights of workers to participate in a secret-ballot election in order to certify the creation of a union. The legislation would force employees to make a public declaration of their preference by allowing union organizers to bypass elections if a majority of employees sign cards authorizing a union.

The legislation passed the U.S. House in 2007 and is expected to be brought forth by Democratic leaders for a vote in the Senate this year.Isakson believes the current system, which allows employees to use a secret ballot in choosing whether they want a union to become their exclusive representative in the workplace, has worked well because it neither advocates nor discourages unionization.Isakson blamed declining union membership as the motive behind the legislation, which did not receive committee consideration. Union membership among private sector employees is at its lowest level in decades.

Isakson also used the nomination hearing for Solis to stress the importance of writing regulations that both protect workers and allow businesses to operate efficiently.

“In my four years on this committee as the Republican leader on the Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee, I have worked with Senators Murray, Kennedy, Enzi and others to try and strike this delicate balance,” Isakson said. “We have a strong record of working together on critical issues to American workers such as mine safety reform, banning asbestos, and pension protection.”---www.FayetteFrontPage.comFayette Front PageCommunity News You Can UseFayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyronewww.GeorgiaFrontPage.comwww.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com---

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) appointed three-term Rep. Lynn Westmoreland to the Republican whip team this week after Westmoreland was sworn in to the 111th Congress.

“It’s an honor to serve the Republican Conference in this capacity, and it gives me a seat and a greater voice at the leadership table as I work to represent and promote Georgia in the House,” Westmoreland said. “House Republicans are going through a rebuilding stage after losing significant ground over the past two election cycles. The Democrats have a huge majority and that limits our ability to stop liberal excesses in their tracks. We nevertheless have a duty to our constituents and to the nation to hold the Democrats and President Obama accountable for their actions. Our country faces extraordinary difficulties today. Republicans at times will provide a helping hand to the Democrats, but we’ll also work at times in an oversight role and other times as opponents to bad policy.”

As a deputy whip, Westmoreland will serve as an aide and adviser to Cantor. Members of the whip encourage rank-and-file members to support the leadership position on certain votes and also relay members’ opinions and concerns to the conference’s leaders.

Cantor praised Westmoreland’s addition to the whip team.

“This week begins our march toward a stronger future for America based on revitalized, common-sense ideals,” said Cantor. “I’m pleased that Congressman Westmoreland has joined the Republican Whip Team, the team that will act as the cornerstone of House Republican efforts to preserve, protect and create a better tomorrow for working families. This team is comprised of top leaders that will advance a positive vision for the future of our country, a vision based on accountability, transparency and action. I look forward to getting to work alongside Lynn."

Westmoreland has also taken on new responsibilities at the National Republican Congressional Committee, the political arm of the House Republicans. Westmoreland will serve as one of five vice chairs of the NRCC. He will oversee congressional redistricting efforts in the various states, which will redraw districts for the 2012 election cycle.

The congressman will maintain his committee assignments on Transportation and Infrastructure, House Oversight and Government Reform, and Small Business.

“As the only Georgian on the transportation committee, this assignment is crucial to the state this year,” Westmoreland said. “We’re due for a major transportation bill this Congress and I’ll serve as the point person for all the Georgia projects. Congestion and infrastructure improvements are pressing needs in Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District, and I’m going to continue work on that those matters over the next two years.”---www.FayetteFrontPage.comFayette Front PageCommunity News You Can UseFayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyronewww.GeorgiaFrontPage.comwww.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com---